Looks are the elephant in the room of every blind date. Sure, we care if the person we’re meeting is fun, smart and respectful — but would it hurt if they’re cute, too? When Alex met Tina at downtown hot spot Sons of Essex for brunch, they both noticed they weren’t each other’s type on the outside, but they very quickly learned the old saying is true: It’s what’s on the inside that counts.

He said:
I was nervous as I waited for Tina. But as soon as we met, my anxiety went away.
Superficially speaking, Tina’s not my type — but it didn’t matter, because we got along great. We talked about all the usual things, like home- towns. Since we both work in the arts, we found a lot of common ground.

Sons of Essex is not the kind of place I’d usually go to, but the food and atmosphere were great. Tina and I both ate the mac-and-cheese omelette.

I’ve been on dates with people who are afraid to talk about themselves. They’re worried they’ll bore you, but Tina didn’t have that problem, and she listened as much as she talked. We exchanged numbers and a hug. I see myself going out with her again, but probably as friends.

She said:
When I met Alex, I could tell he is not my normal type, but oddly, I found him attractive. And once we started talking, we got along well.

Since we knew nothing about each other, there was plenty to talk about. I was surprised he is a vegetarian — generally one of my dealbreakers —but Alex didn’t proselytize.

Sons of Essex was nice. The service was good. While we were eating our mac-and-cheese omelettes, he asked me what’s the craziest thing that’s happened to me. Since I was put on the spot, I said something that wasn’t crazy at all. The next time we hang out will probably be more platonic, but I’m not ruling anything out. We can go on another date —maybe tell him a crazier story!